This invention relates generally to articles such as training pants, diapers, incontinence garments and the like, and more particularly to a mechanical fastening system for such articles and to apparatus and methods for securing the mechanical fastening system to such articles.
Articles such as absorbent articles find widespread use as personal care products including, without limitation, diapers, children's toilet training pants, adult incontinence garments, sanitary napkins and the like, as well as surgical bandages and sponges. These articles absorb and contain body waste and are usually intended to be discarded after a limited period of use; i.e., the articles are not intended to be laundered or otherwise restored for reuse. Conventional absorbent articles comprise an absorbent body disposed between a liner, which contacts the wearer's skin, and an outer cover, which inhibits liquid body waste absorbed by the absorbent body from leaking out of the article. The liner of the absorbent article is typically liquid permeable to permit liquid body waste to pass therethrough for absorption by the absorbent body.
Conventional absorbent articles also typically include some type of fastening system for securing the absorbent article in an assembled configuration and/or for fitting the article on the wearer, such on the wearer's waist in the case of diapers and training pants. In many such applications, the fastening system is releasable and refastenable so that the article can be temporarily removed and then refastened to the wearer.
One common form of fastening system is the so-called hook-and-loop fastening system, which comes in various forms and has both advantages and disadvantages in its application to such absorbent articles. For example, particularly when used for training pants, engageable hook and loop fasteners are secured respectively to the front and back waist regions of the article generally at overlapping side panels of the article so that the fasteners releasably engage each other to form the three dimensional shape of the article. In typical such articles, the loop fastener is relatively unstretchable and either forms a portion of the article itself or is attached to the side panel or other component of the article. The hook fastener is generally attached to an extensible substrate (e.g., the side panel) so that it can be suitably positioned in engagement with the loop fastener material while allowing for various shapes and sizes of the intended wearers of the article.
While such hook-and-loop fastener systems have proven effective, some hook fasteners may have a tendency to disengage or separate from the loop fasteners when the wearer is active, such as when stooping or bending as is common with a child in training pants or diapers. This separation can result in the article coming loose from the wearer (with possible leakage resulting), thus requiring the article to be refitted and refastened, if possible, or simply replaced.